1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to configuring electronic systems.
2. Background Art
A shared device which can be used by any one of a number of authorized users, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone, typically provides access to a user by requiring the user to manually input some form of identification data, such as a user ID and a password. The identification data is typically associated with a profile of the user, which may include a particular configuration of settings for the shared device. For example, a profile may include the personalized settings of the user and settings which grant the user access to a particular set of features in the shared device. Therefore, once a user provides the identification data, the profile of the user can be set in the shared device by adjusting the settings in the shared device in accordance with the configuration of settings included in the profile. However, requiring the user of the shared device to recall and manually enter the abovementioned identification data each time the shared device is to be used can greatly inconvenience the user.
The known methods used to overcome the abovementioned difficulties associated with requiring the user to manually enter a user ID and password involve allowing the user to physically plug in a device representing a token into the shared device. In particular, one such known method involves the use of a USB device which can be plugged directly into a USB port that is provided on the shared device. The USB device can be associated with a particular user and can include the user's identification data as well as the profile of the user. However, the USB device can introduce significant drawbacks. For example, each user will typically be required to carry an assigned USB device with them at all times in order to gain access to the shared device, which can inconvenience the user since such USB devices can be bulky. Moreover, the USB port provided on the shared device typically includes an exposed metal pad, which can make the shared device more vulnerable to damage caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) as well as increase the difficulty of passing an ESD test.
Thus, there is a strong need in the art for a system, which allows convenient and secure profile setting in a shared device.